Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UK-Australia trade deal will be subject to sufficient Parliamentary scrutiny.

The Government put in place extensive parliamentary scrutiny arrangements including publishing negotiating objectives, economic scoping assessments and regular statements to Parliament.

Now that the agreement has been signed, there will be opportunity for further scrutiny including time for the relevant Select Committees and the Trade and Agriculture Commission to produce reports on the deal. Parliament can resolve against ratification of the agreement through the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Any legislative changes required to give effect to the agreement will need to be scrutinised and passed by Parliament in the usual way before it can be brought into force.